0:00:18 > 0:00:21Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23This week I'm in Aultbea,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26just south of Ullapool on the beautiful northwest coast.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29But I'm not just here for the views and the bracing breeze.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I'm here to see a pioneering form of farming that could put
0:00:32 > 0:00:36one of the great luxury seafoods on all our tables.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- Euan is at the Crufts of the Clydesdale world.- Are you confident?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Have you had a look at the opposition?
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- I haven't looked at the opposition. - They're looking good.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We ask, is it time to end the controversial cull
0:00:52 > 0:00:53of mountain hares?
0:00:54 > 0:00:58And Sarah discovers how today's aspiring farmers are getting
0:00:58 > 0:01:00a foothold in the industry.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02You need a lot of money to start up on your own.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07This is as close to starting up on my own as I can get without winning the lottery, I think.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Salmon farming has been one of the great rural economic success
0:01:16 > 0:01:18stories of the last 20 years
0:01:18 > 0:01:22with salmon top of the Scottish food export charts.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Now, a new form of farming involving scallops hopes to replicate
0:01:26 > 0:01:27that success.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Before I see how they are farmed, I have come to Ullapool to taste
0:01:41 > 0:01:44local scallops, one of my favourite foods.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47They are also good for you.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Low in fat, yet rich in omega-3 and fatty acids.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56These are really, really wonderful.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Generally in Britain, there are two ways to catch them.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03One, hand-dived, two, dredged.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Hand-dived, like the name suggests,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08means a diver goes to the bottom of the sea and plucks them,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12whereas dredged uses equipment to rake along the sea bed.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Around 98% of all scallops caught are dredged.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Many conservation groups say that the dredgers destroy
0:02:24 > 0:02:28the sea bed, killing other marine life as they scrape up the scallops.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Hand-dived scallops are considered very sustainable.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36But they are also very pricey.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Often more than double the cost of dredged ones.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And, as a tiny percentage of the scallops landed, they are
0:02:43 > 0:02:45harder to get hold of.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So, which ones do you buy - the expensive,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56hand-dived ones, or the more affordable dredged ones?
0:02:56 > 0:03:01Well, in the future there could be a third option - ranched scallops.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I am heading to Aultbea in the north-west coast to find out more.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- Good morning, how are we?- Hello. How are you doing?- Can I come down?- Aye.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Excellent, good stuff.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Lovely day for it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'I've come south of Ullapool to meet Jane Grant
0:03:18 > 0:03:21'and business partner Grant Campbell.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- Have we caught these already?- Aye.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'Jane and Grant, with a bit of help from Jane's son Phil,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'are pioneering a new method of farming scallops in Scotland.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33'Which they call ranching.'
0:03:36 > 0:03:39The scallop ranching is about helping us
0:03:39 > 0:03:42help nature to produce scallops like this.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45At the moment, we rely on our natural fishing.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Scallops born in the wild, they settle in the wild,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- they grow in the wild and then we catch them.- Mm.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But we are just taking, we are not actually putting anything back.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Grant and Jane have developed a system that is far more sustainable.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Scottish scallops are sent over to a specialist hatchery in Norway, bred
0:04:06 > 0:04:10in carefully controlled conditions, then the juvenile scallops
0:04:10 > 0:04:13are sent back to Scotland, where they are grown in the sea here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Jane, is this area particularly good for growing scallops, then?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21It's not just this area, it's the whole of the Highlands
0:04:21 > 0:04:25and Islands of Scotland, we have got all the ingredients required
0:04:25 > 0:04:28to really grow scallops well here, we have got the Gulf Stream,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31we've got beautiful, clean water and we have got
0:04:31 > 0:04:33a lot of good sea lochs where we've
0:04:33 > 0:04:38got the sheltered areas that are just perfect for growing scallops.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Scallops require no specific feeding.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43They simply filter the water around them.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The young scallops are suspended in trays
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and Grant is pulling one up so we can have a look.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- So these are only six months old. - Yes.- They are absolutely tiny.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- They will stay in the trays how long, then?- About a year.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03During this summer, these will be going on to the sea bed.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06And how do you keep control of that part of the sea bed?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Because don't they move or don't they move very much?
0:05:08 > 0:05:11If a scallop is happy where it is, it won't move.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It won't move 2m in the whole of its life,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16as long as it likes where it is living.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20On the surface, there is not much to see of a scallop ranch.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22That is why I brought my snorkelling gear.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I must say, that is a fairly slim fit suit!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- It's 18 years old.- 18 years old? - I was slimmer then!
0:05:31 > 0:05:33The guys are going to go down now
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and have a check of all of the lines and the trays.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38They are going to the bottom, I'll stay on the surface
0:05:38 > 0:05:40sort of bumbling around - I'm not allowed to go deep.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I don't have the qualifications.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46But it's going to be cold, it's going to be fun - apparently -
0:05:46 > 0:05:47and we'll see what we see.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Here goes. Ha-ha.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Jane and Grant plan to put two million scallops in the water
0:06:06 > 0:06:08this year.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10These will have been bred in Norway,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14but there are inherent risks in transporting them to Scotland.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19The ideal option would be to have a Scottish hatchery
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and at the moment, the team are trying to raise over
0:06:22 > 0:06:24£1 million to make that a reality.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30They believe the potential is massive, though.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36Japan produces 400,000 tonnes of farmed scallops every year
0:06:36 > 0:06:37using a very similar system.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Imagine if we could do that here.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It was incredible to go down there and see very small,
0:06:47 > 0:06:48very young scallops.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Jane and Grant's business is equally small and equally young,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58but if they get the investment to grow, the potential is huge.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And very, very tasty.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06And later in the programme,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09I will be meeting up with Nick Nairn to find out more about this
0:07:09 > 0:07:14amazing shellfish and to sample one of his favourite scallop recipes.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18But for now, it's off to Lanark, home of the Clydesdale.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28The Clydesdale is the gentle giant of the horse world.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The breed was developed in Lanarkshire in the 18th century
0:07:31 > 0:07:35when native mares bred with stallions imported from the Continent
0:07:35 > 0:07:37to create the perfect farm horse.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Dillars, near Lanark,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43is one of the top Clydesdale studs in Scotland and I am joining them
0:07:43 > 0:07:47for the day as they prepare some of these guys for the highlight
0:07:47 > 0:07:50of the Clydesdale calendar, the National Stallion Show.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The highlight of the show is the Cawdor Cup, which is awarded
0:07:56 > 0:07:59to the best Clydesdale stallion.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Bob Hamilton, who owns Dillars Stud,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05has won it three times before and is hoping to win it again tomorrow.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Bob. Hi. Who is this? - This is Dillars In The Lead.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- He is big, isn't he? - Yeah, he's a big boy, eh?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15He's growing very, very well, since I got him.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- You've got the big show tomorrow. - We're going to the big show tomorrow.- How important is it?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It's most important for the stallion owners to do very well
0:08:22 > 0:08:24at this show, because this is where you're going to
0:08:24 > 0:08:27advertise your stallions and hopefully, if you do well,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30it'll encourage mare owners to come to use your stallion.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Right, so how do you get him ready?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Basically, we'll start today with washing him.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Wash the legs and if you like, you can help, you can hold him.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- I can hold him.- Great stuff.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I will go to the back and start washing him.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Steady, boy.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49So, Bob, how much work is involved getting him ready for a show?
0:08:49 > 0:08:51There's a lot of horse here.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Well, the stallions, I will start working with the stallions to
0:08:54 > 0:08:56get them prepared from the month of November.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59The farrier is in to put the first set of plates on them
0:08:59 > 0:09:00to go on the feet.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02We will start feeding them from that time on.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05So it's a long... it's quite a long journey.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09I know I shouldn't ask this question, but what are the chances of winning?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Well, the Cawdor Cup, I've won it three times now.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And it's a very, very difficult thing to win.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17This is the main accolade.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Everybody that has a male stallion or an entire horse,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23this is the one they are trying to win, the Stallion Show.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26So hopefully we will go and I am very happy with the horses
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I'm taking, I don't think I could have any better.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32So it's just in the hands of how they behave and how we do tomorrow.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35As they say, it's not about winning, it's about competing.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Nah, it's about winning!
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I suppose that's right, but you've got to give a diplomatic answer!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So what's next? You have got the farrier coming, yes?
0:09:44 > 0:09:46The farrier is coming in this afternoon.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50He should be here sometime and we will get his dancing shoes on
0:09:50 > 0:09:51and be ready to go.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Today is show day.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57We're at Stirling Farmers' Mart,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00where the stallions are given a final pampering.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08And this is it. The National Stallion Show 2014.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15The show is organised by the Glasgow Agricultural Society
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and it's been held since at least 1860
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and the original point of the show was the hiring of stallions
0:10:21 > 0:10:24to travel to various parts of the country to breed.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Recent additions to the show include the Highland
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and the Shetland classes.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33But the Clydesdales are saved until last,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and it's the Cawdor Cup that everybody is waiting for.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39And this is it, the famous Cawdor Cup,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43donated by the Earl of Cawdor over 120 years ago.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46What happens is the stallions are divided into classes
0:10:46 > 0:10:48and the winner of that class goes into the final
0:10:48 > 0:10:53and the champion gets to take this and put it on the mantelpiece.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Dillars In The Lead has qualified for the Cawdor Cup,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01but there are still four other stallions that he has to beat.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02- He's scrubbed up well. - He's done very well.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Good job you washed him yesterday. - Absolutely.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- So, are you confident?- Well...- Have you had a look at the opposition?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10- I haven't looked at the opposition. - They're looking good.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12We'll see them when we go in. They will be good.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's very difficult to win the Cawdor Cup.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17To me, all the horses in the ring look quite different.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I am meeting Sheila Keron, the secretary of
0:11:20 > 0:11:21the Clydesdale Horse Society,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25to find out just what the judges are looking for.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I think that's the 50,000 question.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But it is a working animal, so that is important.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Hair is really important, they're looking for really nice,
0:11:33 > 0:11:34soft, fine hair.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37You might see the judge touching their legs, that's what
0:11:37 > 0:11:38they are looking for.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Action is really important as well for a working horse.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- It's got to be close behind. - So it's kind of power...- Yes.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- Power, and going up the dreels. - Have they changed over the years?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Or are they still pretty much as they would have been in 1860?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I think, like all breeds, they have changed, definitely.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59It has kind of evolved with demand, really.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10After much deliberation, the judges have made the decision
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and Dillars In The Lead has been placed third.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The winner is this one-year-old colt, Glebeview Eddie.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And it seems I'm getting an unexpected honour.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I have been asked to present the prizes, how good is that?
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Congratulations, sir.- Thank you very much.- You must be very proud.- Yes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Was it a surprise?- Pardon? - Was it a surprise?
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- Yes, it's always a surprise.- OK. You get one of these.- Thank you.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I'll let you put that on because I can't reach.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- We'll get that in a minute. - There you go. Congratulations.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Thank you very much.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Dillars In The Lead didn't win, but Bob Hamilton is not too disappointed.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Bob, how do you feel? You obviously didn't take the trophy.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58We've not got the trophy but we had a good show, so...
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- He came close. He looked great. - We'll keep going. I'm very pleased with the horse.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- We didn't win, but we'll just have to...- You'll be back.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08You can come back and give me a hand to wash him next year again!
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The average age of a Scottish farmer is now 55.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Young, aspiring farmers have found it increasingly difficult
0:13:27 > 0:13:30to break into the industry due to the cost of farmland
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and the lack of available tenancies.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36But some older farmers are now helping their younger peers
0:13:36 > 0:13:38to get a foothold in the industry.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Sarah is off to find out more.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49I am on my way to Upper Hundalee Farm near Jedburgh.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53I am off to find out about share farming and this is being hailed
0:13:53 > 0:13:58as a great new way of getting more young blood into the industry.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- Morning. Stephen? Hi.- How are you?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Stephen Withers is the farmer here
0:14:15 > 0:14:20but he has got a share farming arrangement with Neil Sandilands.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They share the profits of the farm's sheep flock.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- I follow you?- Yes.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30'The share farming arrangement is relatively straightforward.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'Stephen provided all the assets, things like the fencing
0:14:33 > 0:14:37'and the feeders, the sheep themselves and the land.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Come on, girls.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41'Usually Neil provides all the labour,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'although he is getting a hand from me today.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- My technique can't be as good as yours.- Just spread it out.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50They'll find it amongst the straw.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55'They split the profits 50-50 up to the first £20,000.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'If they make more than that, then Stephen gets 60% of the profits.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'Any losses are split in exactly the same way.'
0:15:05 > 0:15:09How did this share farming agreement come about? How did you get involved?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Well, I used to work for Stephen for about ten years
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and I decided I needed a fresh challenge,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16so I left and went self-employed for a while,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and then he phoned up one day
0:15:19 > 0:15:22wondering if I'd be interested in coming back
0:15:22 > 0:15:26as a partnership in running the sheep side of things,
0:15:26 > 0:15:27which I thought...
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Why not? Give it a go. - Give it a go. I'd nothing to lose.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32He put all the money in and all the sheep in
0:15:32 > 0:15:36and I did all the labour side of things and the running of it
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and it's working away quite well.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43You need your food. You're about to have your lambies.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Stephen took on Neil when he felt less physically able
0:15:48 > 0:15:51to run the sheep side of things himself.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52Through share farming,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55older farmers can give young, would-be farmers
0:15:55 > 0:15:58the chance of genuine business experience.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02For something like this to work,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06you have to have somebody that's willing to just stand back
0:16:06 > 0:16:08and let somebody get on with it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12I mean, we buy quite a lot of store lambs in to finish.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Quite often, he'll be at the sale the same time as me.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I do all the buying,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and he never comes across and says, "You've paid too much for that."
0:16:20 > 0:16:22He maybe thinks it, but he never actually says!
0:16:22 > 0:16:26That very diplomatic of him. There's not many farmers about like that.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28That's the trouble, there's too many that wouldn't do that.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32The sheep are just one part of a bigger farming business.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37When it comes to the cattle and cereals, Stephen still runs the show.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- I'll take you to see the cattle now. - Are these guys your pride and joy?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42This is my side of the business.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46OK, so what is the key to making the share farming agreement work?
0:16:46 > 0:16:53I think trust is the main thing, and give and take. You can't be greedy.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55You've got to trust one another and work together.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You guys seem like very nice fellows,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01but there is the potential to fall out, isn't there?
0:17:01 > 0:17:04What would happen in that scenario?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Well, if we really fell out then the partnership would have to split
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and we would have to split the assets.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Neil would walk away and do his bit
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and I would carry on probably trying to take another young man.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22At the moment, I don't think there's any chance of that ever happening.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24What are the advantages of you share farming with Neil
0:17:24 > 0:17:27rather than employing somebody to do what he does?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Well, the great thing about it is he's working for himself,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I'm working for myself. I don't have to control him.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37He decides when he wants to come into work,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40when he leaves work, and he totally runs the sheep enterprise.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I don't have any say in it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Although, if it came to the push and there was a dispute,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I would have a bit of say at the end of the day.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49COW MOOS
0:17:51 > 0:17:54As well as breeding, Neil buys in lambs to fatten.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Today he has to gather some in to be slaughtered for the market.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02So, Stephen's getting the gate sorted.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Neil is going to bring the lambs in from the field
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and I'm in charge of directing them at the gate.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11But with animals, who knows if it's going to go according to plan?
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Oh, no, look - he's left one behind!
0:18:29 > 0:18:34- What's an ideal weight?- Anything above 42 kilos is about right.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- So, that's 44, so that's OK. - Gets the mark.- Yeah.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Would you open the front? - Yeah, so just...?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Off you go.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Spray. There we go. Off you go.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47So, what are your hopes for the future?
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Well, I think we have to continue on as we are and maybe we'll expand.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I don't think you can stand still in this industry.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59You have to keep looking forward, maybe double the sheep up or
0:18:59 > 0:19:02if land became available, we'd have to look at it.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Would you eventually like to have a farm of your own?
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Oh, I'd love to, but the financial implications of that -
0:19:09 > 0:19:11you need a lot of money to start up on your own.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15This is as close to starting up on my own as I can get without winning the lottery, I think.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19According to Stephen and Neil,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24theirs is the only type of this agreement in Scotland.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26I'm a farmer's wife and I know it can be difficult
0:19:26 > 0:19:31for the older generation to let go and hand over control.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It's obviously an agreement that requires
0:19:34 > 0:19:36a huge amount of compromise and trust,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40but these guys really seem to make it work and I suppose the hope is
0:19:40 > 0:19:45that lots of other young farmers get the same sort of chance.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51We're always keen to hear from you, so why not send us an e-mail?
0:19:54 > 0:19:55You can also go online
0:19:55 > 0:19:58to get the Landward five-day weather forecast at...
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Earlier, I found out about the pioneer scallop farmers
0:20:08 > 0:20:11who want to open a Scottish scallop hatchery.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Now, I'm in Edinburgh,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17where Nick is going to show me his favourite way to prepare scallops.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Then, we're going to give the great Scottish public
0:20:20 > 0:20:22a chance to taste them.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Doug and I have brought the Landward Street Food Van into Edinburgh.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Our mission - to bring the finest rural produce
0:20:29 > 0:20:30into the heart of the city.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Doug, how are you doing with shucking your scallop?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I think... I don't know. What do you reckon?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I do believe you've done a rather excellent job.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43We're going to serve them a la ceviche, bit of lime juice
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- and chilli and coriander. - Are we cooking this?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49We're curing it.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- Curing it? So, it's basically raw, then?- Yes. Raw scallop.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It's Edinburgh, Dougie, sophisticated people.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- They love this kind of stuff... - Take me through the process.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00First of all, we need to wash the scallop.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02These scallops come from Class A waters,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04really clean, unpolluted waters,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- and that's important, because we're not cooking them.- Right.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Because there's no contaminants here to start with,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- they're perfectly safe. OK?- OK.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14All we're going to do is take the scallop,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and we're going to thinly slice it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19These are hand dived scallops, as opposed to dredged scallops.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23They came out of the water, seriously, this morning.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27These are genuinely as fresh as they will ever get.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Little bit of zest over the top...
0:21:30 > 0:21:34A little bit of soft salt just over the top.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Little bit of lime juice. Do you want to squeeze the lime juice over?
0:21:37 > 0:21:41What the lime juice is doing is it's starting to break down the protein.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It is curing it. So, it's doing a similar process to cooking it.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47A little bit of chilli.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The chilli is not entirely necessary, and it's not necessarily...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This isn't authentic ceviche,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56this is a Landward Street Food Van ceviche.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- And that's it?- Yeah.- Do you want to deep fry it before I taste it?
0:22:00 > 0:22:05- No, I don't. Bon appetit. I'll join you. Here we go.- Here we go.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Mmm!
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Mm-mm-mm-mm!
0:22:11 > 0:22:12Really strong taste,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and you can get the flavour of the lime and the coriander.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Chilli kicking in again. It's the scallop, it's incredibly sweet.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Amazing.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- There's a massive premium on this. These scallops are probably about £2 each.- Right.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Dredged scallops, what the majority of people get, are about 60p each.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Are we selling or giving it for nothing?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- Giving it for nothing. - They'll eat it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35- What about that? - Mmm! Delicious.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40- Cured in lime juice, coriander and chilli.- Mmm!- You like?- Perfect.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Would you normally order something raw?- No, not normally.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- But good? - Yeah, very good.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Very positive so far, very positive.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Basically, it's raw scallop.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- No, thank you, no. - But it's cured.- No! No!
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- Can I interest you in a bit of raw scallop?- No, I don't eat it. - Don't eat it? OK, no bother.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- Not for me, thank you. - Not for you? OK, no bother.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- I don't like coriander.- You don't like coriander? Scrape it off.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02SHE LAUGHS
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Very nice.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- Would you order that?- No.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Fresh this morning.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15That works, actually, I have to say.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- Do you like that?- Well, I have to now I've swallowed it!
0:23:19 > 0:23:20It's that chappie, Nairn.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23- That is the chappie, Nairn, the very one. Yes.- Well done.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- How has it gone?- It's gone incredibly well, actually. Remarkably well.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I was expecting people to turn their nose up
0:23:31 > 0:23:33at anything that's raw or cured,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36but on the whole, people are eating it, loving it.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It just shows you, when you get fabulous Scottish produce,
0:23:38 > 0:23:39you don't have to do much to it.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Now, Euan has headed into the hills to investigate the controversy
0:23:51 > 0:23:54over the culling of mountain hares.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02The mountain hare is the only species of hare native to Scotland.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Their chameleon-like ability
0:24:05 > 0:24:09to change colour in the winter to provide camouflage against predators
0:24:09 > 0:24:12helps make them one of our most loved creatures.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Every year, thousands of mountain hares are killed in Scotland,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21both for sport and to reduce numbers on grouse moors.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24This has led some conservationists to believe
0:24:24 > 0:24:28that in certain areas of Scotland, they could become extinct.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35In certain places I think, anecdotally, we've got
0:24:35 > 0:24:37good information about the numbers of hares are not
0:24:37 > 0:24:40as abundant as they have been. That's caused us concern.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43There's a suggestion that local extinction is a possibility.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Yeah, I think that's fair.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47We're certainly seeing some parts of the country where hares
0:24:47 > 0:24:49are not as prevalent as they were, and indeed, not present.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52If that trend continues, I think that would be something which
0:24:52 > 0:24:55we would be particularly concerned about.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Research done in 2008 shows that
0:24:59 > 0:25:03half of all the hares killed in Scotland are killed
0:25:03 > 0:25:07to protect grouse from a tick-borne disease called louping-ill.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12The disease doesn't affect the hare, but the animal does act as a carrier.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The tick is a bloodsucking parasite that attaches itself to mammals,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22birds and people and it acts as a carrier
0:25:22 > 0:25:25for some nasty diseases like louping-ill.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Alan Hodgeson is a member of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association
0:25:32 > 0:25:36involved in grouse moor management and he's seen first-hand
0:25:36 > 0:25:38the effects that ticks can have on young grouse.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Louping-ill is a very, very deadly thing.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It's bad for more than just grouse
0:25:46 > 0:25:51but if there's louping-ill present, it'll kill eight out of ten chicks
0:25:51 > 0:25:53that are bitten by ticks infected with it.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Just the sheer numbers of ticks -
0:25:55 > 0:25:57you can get grouse chicks a week, ten days old,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00their eyelids are all swollen up where they have been bitten,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04their nose is full, the head's bald where they've been scratching
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and you'll have maybe 100, 120 ticks on it.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08How concerned are you about
0:26:08 > 0:26:12the potential for hares to become extinct, certainly locally extinct?
0:26:12 > 0:26:18Well, I wouldn't say that estates are trying to make them extinct,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23but they've been, certainly in the early stages of the control,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27fairly thorough and they've reached a level where you're shooting
0:26:27 > 0:26:31the same number of hares every year, so it's obviously sustainable.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Hares live underground, they're like rabbits, so what you see
0:26:34 > 0:26:36through the day, you might not see any hares at all.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38So, there's always that surplus underground
0:26:38 > 0:26:40that are going to survive.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44So we're killing hares
0:26:44 > 0:26:48because they're perceived to spread ticks and disease,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50but are they the main culprits?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I'm off to the James Hutton Institute
0:26:52 > 0:26:55to find out what the latest science says.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59We found that in the presence of other hosts,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03in particular red deer, which can carry a large number of ticks
0:27:03 > 0:27:04relative to mountain hares,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08then reducing mountain hares in the presence of red deer in particular
0:27:08 > 0:27:13is unlikely to have an effect on ticks, louping-ill and grouse bags.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17What's the potential for the mountain hare to become extinct,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18or certainly, locally extinct?
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Mountain hares' leverets will usually establish
0:27:21 > 0:27:24their own home ranges very close to where they were born
0:27:24 > 0:27:26and will usually stay within a kilometre or roundabouts
0:27:26 > 0:27:29of where they were born.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33So, sustained killing of mountain hares does have the potential
0:27:33 > 0:27:35to locally reduce mountain hare populations
0:27:35 > 0:27:37to very low densities indeed.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43So it would seem that the culling of mountain hares
0:27:43 > 0:27:46makes very little difference to grouse populations
0:27:46 > 0:27:50when red deer are present, even in very low densities.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53So, why are they still being killed?
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Later in the series,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01we'll be looking at other grouse moor management issues.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Next week, as part of a season of programmes on BBC Scotland,
0:28:08 > 0:28:09we have a Landward special
0:28:09 > 0:28:12looking at the impact of the First World War
0:28:12 > 0:28:14on Scotland's farming communities.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18In the meantime, from all the team here on the stunning
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but bracing north-west coast, thanks so much for your company.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Bye for now.